


I'll be back, I promise

by ChristiWinchester03



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: Arthur is slowly losing it, Everything is sad until it isn't, Execution, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22754725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristiWinchester03/pseuds/ChristiWinchester03
Summary: Arthur had to get Merlin out of Camelot, apparently the idiot has magic and his father, Uther had found out about it. He couldn't lose Merlin, he just couldn't
Relationships: Leon & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Kudos: 83





	I'll be back, I promise

Arthur rushed to his chambers, he had just got out of a meeting with his father and apparently, Merlin has magic, Arthur tried to defend him, to talk his father out of executing him, but it didn't work, it only made the matters worse. Arthur knew where Merlin was, in his chambers, and he had to get the idiot out of Camelot.

•••

Merlin had just finished making the bed when Arthur slammed the doors open scaring the shit out of Merlin. 

”Arthur, what the hell?!” but Arthur shushed him.

”We don't have time for this, we need to get you out of Camelot!” Arthur whisper yelled. What the hell was he on about? Arthur grabbed Merlins arm and proceeded to drag him out, but Merlin resisted.

“No, seriously Arthur, what is this?! I’m not leaving for whatever reason you have.” Merlin stubbornly stared at his friend.

”well, _Merlin._ Apparently you're a sorcerer and my father wants you dead!” Arthur's glare was stitched into Merlins. And Merlin felt himself become paler and his eyes widened..

”...Which is why I need to get you out of Camelot as fast as possible, come on.” but yet again, Merlin just stood there astonished.

”Wait, so you heard someone say that I have magic and decided to help me escape? Arthur, I don't know if you realise this, but I do actually have...magic. It's against the rules, so why help me?” Merlin didn't know what to think, Arthur knew, and he didn't hate him, hell he didn't even yell at him!

”I...I just can't lose you too, I refuse to believe you're evil, Merlin, I refuse to lose you...” Arthur looked as if he was about to break and Merlin felt a fuzzy feeling inside his chest, but his expression saddened quickly.

”Arthur...I’m not leaving...I promised you, I promised myself that I would always stay at your side and protect you. Even if that means I have to die.” Merlin's voice was weak, but at the same time steady. 

”...no...i’m not letting you die, please Merlin, let's go...” Arthur shook his head, it was barely noticeable, but he did. Before Arthur had had the chance of running, 5 guards led by Sir Kay busted into the room.

”ah! Sire, it looks like you've already caught the sorcerer, we'll take it from here.” the guards grabbed Merlin by his shoulders and dragged him out. Arthur should've interfered, he wanted to, but his throat wouldn't let his voice out. He just stood there staring, as Merlin mouthed ’sorry’. When the guards were out, he collapsed, he broke down just sitting there looking at the grounds the tears silently ran down his face.

•••

Arthur snuck into the dungeons that night. Merlin were to be burned on the pure by first sunlight the next morning and Arthur had one last chance to get him out. He had spoken with Gwen, Gaius and his six most trusted knights and best friends. Gwaine was pissed, had almost attacked Arthur if Percival hadn't stopped him. It was clear that all of them wanted Merlin back.

”Merlin! Wake up!” Arthur hissed into the cell.

”...Arthur? What are you doing here?” Merlin said it was clear he hadn't been sleeping, but who could judge him in this situation.

”I'm getting you out of here!” Arthur was careful not to bring any attention to them. It was quiet for a solid few second before Merlin walked up to the cell door separating them and placed his had on Arthurs's.

”Arthur...you can't, your father will find out...if he finds out that his only son is helping a sorcerer...it’ll risk everything. If you do that, Albion might never be.” Merlin looked down at the iron cuffs around his wrist and sighed.

” I don't care what my father says, for god's sake! I just can't see you burn!” Arthur was louder this time and 2 knights came running.

”Prince Arthur! I'm afraid you're not allowed to be here, kings order.” the knight said and grabbed him by the shoulder, Arthur tried to fight it, but he was stupid enough not to bring his sword and got knocked out.

•••

Arthur woke up the next morning to the smell of something burning ’no!’ he thought and rushed out. Merlin was tied to the pyre and the executioner had just set in on fire.

”NO!” he yelled and rand against his dying friend. He saw Merlin turn golden and he flew back, he looked from afar at the flames that were eating Merlin alive, he had failed. He had lost Merlin, it was over. Before Merlin was completely out of sight, he heard the boy's voice inside his head saying calmly ’I'll be back, I promise’ and then the courtyard was filled with agonizing screams. Merlin was beyond help, his father had killed his first real and best friend.

••• 

Arthur hadn't stepped out of his chambers, it had been 3 days since he lost _his_ Merlin, 3 days since he lost his will to live. The only thing he had done was helping Gaius write a letter to his mother, Hunith, which was absolutely dreadful. He blamed himself so much for _his_ death. He was angry at his father, so so angry, so he decided to finally go out. To the training ground.

Arthur didn't hold back, not even when he was fighting against the new knights, it seemed Gwaine let his anger and sadness put the same way when he wasn't training he was at the tavern, and when he wasn't at the tavern, he was training. Lancelot tried to stay strong for Gwen, to be a shoulder she and everyone else could cry on, but it was obvious by the bags under his eyes that he hadn't been sleeping. Elyan and Percival were mostly avoiding to talk about what had happened with a tired look on their faces as they make sure Gwaine doesn't kill himself or someone else. Leon had tried to be there for Arthur as much as he could. Helping him with some papers or just sitting there quietly together.

•••

It had been 2 weeks, 2weeks since _he_ died, Arthur wasn't even able to think of his name. Arthur had been swinging his sword aggressively on a dummy for 2 weeks and if he slept at night, he never got more than 2 hours of sleep before waking up in a pool of sweat (sometimes piss) from having a nightmare about _him_.

He was tired, so so tired. Arthur's father had ignored his son since _him_ too. He had been angry over his reaction, even had the audacity to say that the reaction was a part of _his_ plan. That Arthur was under a spell. Puh!

Nighttime on the end of the second week was when Arthur first cried, he sat down in front of the broken dummy and wept, and every emotion and every tear was finally free. Leon came running over and sat down beside him and Arthur for the first time in weeks let himself be comforted and laid his head on Leon's shoulder. And in that moment he was happy to have a friend like Leon.

•••

On Tuesday of the third week, Arthur had been training when the stranger confronted him, but Arthur kept fighting.

”Arthur.” The stranger said, but he kept training.

”Arthur look at me.” but Arthur didn't listen.

”I’m a druid” the stranger suddenly said and showed him the mark on his wrist, it was then Arthur stopped fighting and took a look at the stranger, he was quite normal looking, well except for the eyes, oh! Those eyes! They were the same beautiful blue that _He_ had, then Arthur was brought back to reality, a druid?!

”...what the hell are you doing here?!” he hissed looking around at the other knights in training, no one had noticed them.

”i need to talk to you, about Emrys, or Merlin as you know him”

”don't you dare say his name!” Arthur felt his voice crack up.

”...ill meet you in your chambers tonight, bring the friends both you and Merlin trust the most.” the druid said and walked away. Needed to talk about Merl... _him?!_ Why? Arthur shook his head and went back to think in his chambers.

•••

It was dark and Arthur decided to go gather his knights, he went to Leons chambers and knocked on the door.

”Leon, hey, could you go get Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, Lancelot and Gwen to my chambers? We All need to talk.” Leon nodded and went on his way, while Leon got them, Arthur went to fetch Gaius.

”You probably wonder why I have gathered you all here...” Arthur started and the knight's nodded.

”...i was confronted by a druid today, and he asked for our presence here today to talk about... _Him.”_ Arthur looked down at the table.

”oh, come on! You don't hate him so much that you can't even say Merlin's name!” Arthur turned around to the voice and surely enough it was the druid. Arthur almost jumped at him.

”YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT! HE WAS MY BEAT FRIEND YOU DOUCHE BAG!” Arthur screamed at his face, with tears in his eyes, the knights behind him was standing now, Percival holding Gwaine back and Gaius had his eyebrow raised.

”Arthur...i’m sorry...i...” The druid's features slowly morphed into a more familiar boy, his hair turned black and his cheekbones got more defined, his lips got fuller and his body slimmer, and those familiar blue eyes went from blue to golden and back to that beautiful blue. The man in front of him was suddenly so familiar, so...Merlin. He was Merlin. Arthur's legs betrayed him and he fell down, or he almost did, The man in front of him caught him.  
  
”you’re not real, you can't be...i saw you burn... I failed you.” Arthur sobbed into the other man's neck.

”Arthur listen to me, you did not fail me, I knew this would happen, ok? I'm sorry I didn't tell you, about everything, but I'm back.” 

”...how?” Gwaine suddenly asked tears in his eyes.

”erm...i...i think I might be immortal...Yes it might look and feel like I did, but I'll wake up soon after every time...though I haven't been burned alive before, I guess this is why it took so long this time...It would have taken longer for my molecules to gather up and reforms me, but the great dragon that I might have let out helped me...” the Warlock said as he brushed his fingers thought the golden prince’s hair.

”Wait you're immortal? How could you find a spell like...that?” This time it was Leon that asked.

”I guess I was born like this, I mean I know I was born with magic, but I didn't find out about the immortality before a a few years back...” Arthur finally looked up at the sorcerer in front of him with a confused, but grateful look.

”Sorry for not telling you... I wanted to, but...” Arthur crashed his lips onto Merlins mid-sentence, I was an awkward kiss with more tears than anything else, but Merlin kissed back. It was a good kiss. Arthur withdrew and threw himself into Merlins arms again.

”Just...Never do that again, ever.” Merlin chuckled into Arthurs's neck and gave a weak smile to his friends, who were all laughing and crying all at once.


End file.
